Lazarus Come Out

 ³⁸ Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. ³⁹ Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” ⁴⁰ Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” ⁴¹ So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. ⁴² I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” ⁴³ When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” ⁴⁴ The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

Devotion:

            Today we watch as Jesus raises another person from the grave. This time it is apparently a close acquaintance of Jesus named Lazarus. Lazarus is the only person Jesus raised where Jesus shows emotion toward the dead person. Earlier in John’s text we wee Jesus's weeping over the death of this man. And the Greek here in verse 38 shows Jesus again deeply moved at the sight of the tomb. The one who has ultimate power over life and death weeps at the thought of one so loved who has died.

            Lazarus is buried in a cave with a rock rolled against it to seal the odor of death inside. (Much like the tomb Jesus will later find himself in.) Jesus orders that the stone be removed over the objections of the family who were concerned with the smell of decomposition. Jesus reassures them that if they will just believe they will see the mighty power of God prevail in this mournful situation. Indeed, Jesus intends to turn their tears to joy in mere moments.

            Jesus prays to tis Father in heaven that the miracle he is about to do will lead to belief of the part of the bystanders there at the tomb. Then Jesus commands in a loud voice “Lazarus come out” and it is done. The dead man walks as best he can dressed in burial clothes out of the grave. Jesus commands him to be unbound and set free from the wrappings of death. Jesus has completed a third resurrection from the dead. First the son of the widow of Nain, then the daughter of Jairus, and now his friend Lazarus who had been dead four days.

            Those of us who believe in Jesus know there is one more resurrection to come. When Jesus himself will burst forth from the grave on Easter morning. All the people who Jesus has raised in these stories we have been looking at will unfortunately die again. Jesus own resurrection will be permanent. Raised from the dead never to die again. As we prepare to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior let us be filled with awe and reverence that Jesus would die and be raised for sinners such as us. Let us pray:

Prayer:

            Lord, we celebrate the fact that you have the power over death. You demonstrated it over and over again as you walked this earth. You truly love us unworthy sinners though we are. Grant us the ability to share in your resurrection power at the last trumpet. May we all be changed at that last day into creatures who will bring glory to your name. Amen.